"Yesterday at about 2318hrs, a suicide bomber sneaked into the midst of 13 pick up trucks loaded with goods along Maiduguri/Mafa road, said to be awaiting departure to Gamboru Ngala early hrs of today and detonated IEDs strapped on self".

"A police patrol team was promptly deployed to the scene to restore safety and normalcy", the police spokesman said.

The Nigerian Air Force says it killed several Boko Haram terrorists after it repelled an attack on its location by the insurgents. The number of civilians who died from the gunfight wasn't specified.

In December, President Muhammadu Buhari said the capture of a key camp marked the "final crushing" of Boko Haram in its last enclave in Sambisa forest, once the group's stronghold.

A fighter jet and helicopter gunship were immediately scrambled and retaliated, killing scores of the insurgents at the located threat, spokesperson Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa said in a statement. However, there was no casualty except for an airman that sustained bullet wound.

But the pilot was able to continue the flight safely and the attack didn't interrupt a two-day medical outreach program.